EU Sanctions Israeli Settler Groups Over West Bank Abuses

The European Union imposed sanctions on May 28, 2026, against four Israeli settler organizations and three individuals for systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank. Utilizing the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, the Council of the European Union implemented asset freezes and travel bans against the Nachala Settlement Movement and director Daniella Weiss, the NGO Regavim and director Meir Deutsch, the NGO Hashomer Yosh and president Avichai Suissa, and the Amana cooperative association.

The EU alleges these actors facilitate forced displacement, provide support to violent outposts, and lobby for the demolition of Palestinian property, including an EU-funded school in Palestine. The European External Action Service defended the measures, stating that extremist settlers and their supporting organizations contribute directly to violence and dispossession.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel condemned the sanctions, characterizing them as antisemitism disguised as anti-Zionism. Regavim described the move as an infringement on Israeli sovereignty, arguing that the EU and Palestinian Authority violate the Oslo Accords by funding illegal structures in Area C. In a related development on June 3, the Israeli cabinet approved measures to invalidate parallel land registries in Area C to counter Palestinian efforts to establish control over the disputed territories.